Free Combinator Patch - VOICER for Scales & Chords (v1.1 UPDATE)

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Timmy Crowne
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Location: California, United States

07 Aug 2018

Hey folks, here's something I've been working on for the past few days. Voicer is a Combinator patch that allows you to program different Scales & Chords settings for all 12 notes of the chromatic scale, unlocking a bit more potential from the stock player device. Key, scale, note count, inversion, open voicing, octave doubling and added color tones can all be adjusted per note.

Here's a quick demo:


The eagle-eyed (or eared?) among you might notice a G7sus4 and a Bmin7b5 in there, as well as several chromatic passing chords. These chords aren't normally possible to get from the Scales & Chords device without automation, but by pre-programming different settings for each note, it works out!

To program settings, click the “SHOW DEVICES” button. Hold the desired note on your MIDI or on-screen keyboard and locate the corresponding CV8X4 device (labeled “C, D♭, etc.) Each knob adjusts the numbered parameters on the Combinator's front panel (each CV1 knob adjusts KEY for its note, each CV2 knob adjusts SCALE, etc.)

Adjust the knobs while holding a note and see the parameters on the above Scales & Chords device change to taste. Note that this instance of S&C is merely a display unit. The actual audio path is at the bottom of the Combinator stack. The bottom ID8 device is sounding the notes, and of course it can be replaced with any other Reason instrument.

The front-panel buttons can be used to quickly overwrite their indicated parameters for the whole program. The front-panel rotaries are automatically adjusted via the Combinator’s rear CV inputs, so manually adjusting them should best be avoided as it will offset the calibration. Voicer uses the mod wheel to trigger the “ALTER” button in S&C.

By default, chords are mapped to the C major key, with passing chords built on the chromatic notes in between. The default mapping includes a sus4 chord on G and a dim (m7b5) chord on B. The pitch wheel can be used to transpose the entire program +/- 12 semitones. In order to ensure all voicing functions are complete before notes are sounded, Voicer employs a 4ms lookahead function at the MIDI input.
Voicer Pic.png
Voicer Pic.png (235.52 KiB) Viewed 6847 times
VOICER
FORUM BUG 4/21/20: Left-clicking the link results in error message; right-click to open link in a new tab.

Voicer requires 2 free rack extensions:
CV8X4 CV Generator from Aftermath Audio
ModSelsor CV Selector & Sensor from Hamu

Special thanks to the memory of Håkan Müller. His work made this whole idea possible.

Have fun.

EDIT: v1.1 Update
Thanks to ingenious feedback from Italophile and frm5993, I've made the following changes:

At the top of the stack, you'll find two new CV8X4 modules labeled "ROOT SHIFT A & B." These rotaries can be used to individually transpose the pitches of incoming chromatic notes +/- 12 semitones. This occurs *after* the "NOTE TRACKER" has detected the original pitch and passed the relevant preset to the Scales & Chords module, but *before* the notes are sounded. This means the user can program preset scales and played chords independently of each other. For example, the user can program any incoming D note to set the scale to D Phrygian, but play Cmin9 by turning the ROOT SHIFT for D down 2 semitones. This can be useful for getting more exotic chord progressions or progressions where various chords or scales are played over an ostinato bass. (Thanks frm5993!) Hold a note and watch the "TRANSPOSITION" module directly above the "DISPLAY" unit as you turn a ROOT SHIFT rotary. Note that this new routing uses the pitch wheel, so global transposition is now best accomplished by sending the player stack to a sequencer track and transposing the MIDI from there.

I've also included a variant of the patch entitled "VOICER 1.1 (KS) -TC." This version of the patch uses key-switches for the note presets. The "NOTE TRACKER" module will detect only played keys below C1. Holding a key in this range will not cause any notes to sound, but it will prepare the voicing functions. Playing any key C1 or above while holding a key-switch will voice a chord using that note as a root. This allows the user to create a series of multiple chords in one key, then change key by simply moving to another key-switch. (Thanks Italophile!) Playing any key C1 or above after releasing a key-switch will simply play that note. Try this for fun:
(1) Press and hold a key-switch to load your desired S&C settings
(2) Play a key above C1 to trigger a chord
(3) Release the key-switch, but continue to hold the chord note
(4) Solo over your sustained chord by playing a melodic line up top!

Here's the updated patch:
VOICER
FORUM BUG 4/21/20: Left-clicking the link results in error message; right-click to open link in a new tab.
Last edited by Timmy Crowne on 21 Apr 2020, edited 6 times in total.

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MrFigg
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07 Aug 2018

I’m at work and just read your description of the combi and now I just want to get home and download it. Sounds awesome man :). Thanks.
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

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Noplan
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07 Aug 2018

Awesome. Thanks.

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friday
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07 Aug 2018

Nice work! Thanks

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Catblack
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08 Aug 2018

Brilliant!
If you ain't hip to the rare Housequake, shut up already.

Damn.

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Carly(Poohbear)
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08 Aug 2018

Scales and Chords don't interest me however you caught my attention with all those CV8x4's MMMMmmmmmmmm lovely LOL

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wireless
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08 Aug 2018

Now there's 'Awesome', and then there's 'XXL Awesome', and this is definitely the bigger one. Deep respect Timmy, but now I must return to exploring that coding and tracking that wiring loom.......

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benjified
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08 Aug 2018

cool cool cool

jimmyklane
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08 Aug 2018

Timmy Crowne wrote:
07 Aug 2018
Hey folks, here's something I've been working on for the past few days. Voicer is a Combinator patch that allows you to program different Scales & Chords settings for all 12 notes of the chromatic scale, unlocking a bit more potential from the stock player device. Key, scale, note count, inversion, open voicing, octave doubling and added color tones can all be adjusted per note.

Here's a quick demo:


The eagle-eyed (or eared?) among you might notice a G7sus4 and a Bmin7b5 in there, as well as several chromatic passing chords. These chords aren't normally possible to get from the Scales & Chords device without automation, but by pre-programming different settings for each note, it works out!

To program settings, click the “SHOW DEVICES” button. Hold the desired note on your MIDI or on-screen keyboard and locate the corresponding CV8X4 device (labeled “C, D♭, etc.) Each knob adjusts the numbered parameters on the Combinator's front panel (each CV1 knob adjusts KEY for its note, each CV2 knob adjusts SCALE, etc.)

Adjust the knobs while holding a note and see the parameters on the above Scales & Chords device change to taste. Note that this instance of S&C is merely a display unit. The actual audio path is at the bottom of the Combinator stack. The bottom ID8 device is sounding the notes, and of course it can be replaced with any other Reason instrument.

The front-panel buttons can be used to quickly overwrite their indicated parameters for the whole program. The front-panel rotaries are automatically adjusted via the Combinator’s rear CV inputs, so manually adjusting them should best be avoided as it will offset the calibration. Voicer uses the mod wheel to trigger the “ALTER” button in S&C.

By default, chords are mapped to the C major key, with passing chords built on the chromatic notes in between. The default mapping includes a sus4 chord on G and a dim (m7b5) chord on B. The pitch wheel can be used to transpose the entire program +/- 12 semitones. In order to ensure all voicing functions are complete before notes are sounded, Voicer employs a 4ms lookahead function at the MIDI input.

Voicer Pic.png

Download VOICER for Scales & Chords

Voicer requires 2 free rack extensions:
CV8X4 CV Generator from Aftermath Audio
ModSelsor CV Selector & Sensor from Hamu

Special thanks to the memory of Håkan Müller. His work made this whole idea possible.

Have fun.
I’ve been automating the hell out of S&C since I got my hands on it. Interesting device that you’ve made. I’ve yet to check it out, but thank you for contributing to the community!
DAW: Reason 12

SAMPLERS: Akai MPC 2000, E-mu SP1200, E-Mu e5000Ultra, Ensoniq EPS 16+, Akai S950, Maschine

SYNTHS: Mostly classic Polysynths and more modern Monosynths. All are mostly food for my samplers!

www.soundcloud.com/jimmyklane

Bes
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08 Aug 2018

this is wonderful thank you
- Certified Reason expert

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Timmy Crowne
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11 Aug 2018

Hey everybody, thanks and you're welcome! Hope you find this patch as useful and fun to play around with as I do.

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Catblack
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11 Aug 2018

Timmy Crowne wrote:
11 Aug 2018
Hey everybody, thanks and you're welcome! Hope you find this patch as useful and fun to play around with as I do.
I'm really enjoying it! I am going to work up a version that uses 4 Volt SL1s so I can have access to those pattern sets. Maybe map the SL1 patterns to the expression pedal so I can feel things out as I play.

Here's a little test I did last night.


I had tried to use keynote2 before, I didn't realize the secret was to scale it with the MIDI gate!
If you ain't hip to the rare Housequake, shut up already.

Damn.

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FLVZ
Posts: 519
Joined: 17 Aug 2016
Location: ZW | GB

06 Oct 2018

Timmy Crowne wrote:
07 Aug 2018
Hey folks, here's something I've been working on for the past few days. Voicer is a Combinator patch that allows you to program different Scales & Chords settings for all 12 notes of the chromatic scale, unlocking a bit more potential from the stock player device. Key, scale, note count, inversion, open voicing, octave doubling and added color tones can all be adjusted per note.

Here's a quick demo:


The eagle-eyed (or eared?) among you might notice a G7sus4 and a Bmin7b5 in there, as well as several chromatic passing chords. These chords aren't normally possible to get from the Scales & Chords device without automation, but by pre-programming different settings for each note, it works out!

To program settings, click the “SHOW DEVICES” button. Hold the desired note on your MIDI or on-screen keyboard and locate the corresponding CV8X4 device (labeled “C, D♭, etc.) Each knob adjusts the numbered parameters on the Combinator's front panel (each CV1 knob adjusts KEY for its note, each CV2 knob adjusts SCALE, etc.)

Adjust the knobs while holding a note and see the parameters on the above Scales & Chords device change to taste. Note that this instance of S&C is merely a display unit. The actual audio path is at the bottom of the Combinator stack. The bottom ID8 device is sounding the notes, and of course it can be replaced with any other Reason instrument.

The front-panel buttons can be used to quickly overwrite their indicated parameters for the whole program. The front-panel rotaries are automatically adjusted via the Combinator’s rear CV inputs, so manually adjusting them should best be avoided as it will offset the calibration. Voicer uses the mod wheel to trigger the “ALTER” button in S&C.

By default, chords are mapped to the C major key, with passing chords built on the chromatic notes in between. The default mapping includes a sus4 chord on G and a dim (m7b5) chord on B. The pitch wheel can be used to transpose the entire program +/- 12 semitones. In order to ensure all voicing functions are complete before notes are sounded, Voicer employs a 4ms lookahead function at the MIDI input.

Voicer Pic.png

Download VOICER for Scales & Chords

Voicer requires 2 free rack extensions:
CV8X4 CV Generator from Aftermath Audio
ModSelsor CV Selector & Sensor from Hamu

Special thanks to the memory of Håkan Müller. His work made this whole idea possible.

Have fun.
Download link isn't working :cry:

PhillipOrdonez
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06 Oct 2018

Download link isn't working :cry:
[/quote]

It worked for me just fine.

Thanks op for this, it looks very interesting, will delve into it once the work day is over and try to see if i can get around programming different scales. Cheers!

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Catblack
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07 Oct 2018

I did work up a version with Volt's SL1, but I kept getting serious high DSP usage with it. I'm not sure if it was my setup or what my computer was running in early August when you posted this combi. Or if it's the routings with the SL1 or maybe the ModSelector eating up dsp bars. But your Voicer combi is really super nice. Seems to be working a bit better for me now.

I really love it!
If you ain't hip to the rare Housequake, shut up already.

Damn.

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diminished
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12 Jan 2019

Thanks again for your work Timmy, and for posting this in my thread about S&C. I'm having a lot of fun with it and being able to "program" chords of my choice is awesome, although a bit time consuming and tricky to work precisely with, but that is no critique at all, it's just sad that we don't have this option in the regular S&C player.

I'm a jazz artist now, just so you know. Lol.

Man I really wish I understood what is going on in that combinator. It probably doesn't help that I don't have a clue about what either CV8x4 or ModSelsor are doing exactly. And what are those two blocks of player devices for? Do they receive MIDI data separately and are blended together after the fact? Did you by any chance make some sort of sketch/diagram/tutorial on how to build this from scratch? Your combinator is one wonderful big mystery to me :)

Anyway thanks again for this tool!
:reason: Most recent track: resentment (synthwave) || Others: on my YouTube channel •ᴗ•

frm5993
Posts: 24
Joined: 28 Dec 2018

19 Feb 2019

this is really cool, an d might even make chord players worth using for me, but i am now even more acutely aware of a limitation that this retains: the necessity for the each chord to have the played note as the tonic. for instance, since there is no double harmonic scale in the chord player, you cant program a proper V or VII chord for double harmonic, since they would technically be II7 or something.
is there by any chance a workaround with voicer?

i dont really understand the workings of the cv generators, the modselsors or the note tracker.

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TheGodOfRainbows
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20 Feb 2019

WOW. This is such a nice combi patch. I could never have come up with this. Thank you Timmy for sharing this with us. So clever and fun to play with.

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TheGodOfRainbows
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20 Feb 2019

diminished wrote:
12 Jan 2019
Thanks again for your work Timmy, and for posting this in my thread about S&C. I'm having a lot of fun with it and being able to "program" chords of my choice is awesome, although a bit time consuming and tricky to work precisely with, but that is no critique at all, it's just sad that we don't have this option in the regular S&C player.

I'm a jazz artist now, just so you know. Lol.

Man I really wish I understood what is going on in that combinator. It probably doesn't help that I don't have a clue about what either CV8x4 or ModSelsor are doing exactly. And what are those two blocks of player devices for? Do they receive MIDI data separately and are blended together after the fact? Did you by any chance make some sort of sketch/diagram/tutorial on how to build this from scratch? Your combinator is one wonderful big mystery to me :)

Anyway thanks again for this tool!
I am fascinated by this combinator, but I am also a bit confused about how it works and why. I'm not trained musically, so there's that. And I also wish I had a clue about what's going on with the CV routing. I want to learn from it, but my brain is shooting out sparks trying understand. I do know there's a lot of potential here though.

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Catblack
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20 Feb 2019

TheGodOfRainbows wrote:
20 Feb 2019
diminished wrote:
12 Jan 2019
Thanks again for your work Timmy, and for posting this in my thread about S&C. I'm having a lot of fun with it and being able to "program" chords of my choice is awesome, although a bit time consuming and tricky to work precisely with, but that is no critique at all, it's just sad that we don't have this option in the regular S&C player.

I'm a jazz artist now, just so you know. Lol.

Man I really wish I understood what is going on in that combinator. It probably doesn't help that I don't have a clue about what either CV8x4 or ModSelsor are doing exactly. And what are those two blocks of player devices for? Do they receive MIDI data separately and are blended together after the fact? Did you by any chance make some sort of sketch/diagram/tutorial on how to build this from scratch? Your combinator is one wonderful big mystery to me :)

Anyway thanks again for this tool!
I am fascinated by this combinator, but I am also a bit confused about how it works and why. I'm not trained musically, so there's that. And I also wish I had a clue about what's going on with the CV routing. I want to learn from it, but my brain is shooting out sparks trying understand. I do know there's a lot of potential here though.
You need to open it up and each of the 12 CV8x4s -- one for each note -- controls a different thing on scales and chords player. The first, 'cv1' controls the note, the second, 'cv2' controls the scale and so on across the scales and chords player.
If you ain't hip to the rare Housequake, shut up already.

Damn.

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Timmy Crowne
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Posts: 357
Joined: 06 Apr 2017
Location: California, United States

20 Feb 2019

Hello, everybody! I'm glad some folks are seeing usefulness from Voicer. Here's a detailed explanation of the function and logical interrelation of each device in the stack. I hope this helps to clarify what I was doing when I built this thing:
VoicerInfo.jpg
VoicerInfo.jpg (462.92 KiB) Viewed 5415 times
Catblack wrote:
07 Oct 2018
I did work up a version with Volt's SL1, but I kept getting serious high DSP usage with it.
Yeah I've had some trouble with complex CV setups burning through CPU too. I built a big guitar Combinator that uses a lot of CV logic for hammer-ons and strum speed and stuff but I can't release the patch because the CPU gets eaten up so fast! Hopefully Prop's optimization will help soon.
diminished wrote:
12 Jan 2019
I'm having a lot of fun with it and being able to "program" chords of my choice is awesome, although a bit time consuming and tricky to work precisely with, but that is no critique at all, it's just sad that we don't have this option in the regular S&C player.
It is a little fiddly to set the chords right. I wish we had more flexibility in the stock device too. Jazz on!
frm5993 wrote:
19 Feb 2019
since there is no double harmonic scale in the chord player, you cant program a proper V or VII chord for double harmonic, since they would technically be II7 or something.
You're right about being limited by the root note of the chord, unfortunately. The V chord in C double harmonic would be G-B-Db. The only way I'm able to get this chord is to play its tritone Db, and set the key to B harmonic minor, second inversion. This gives me a Dbm7b5, spelled G-B-Db-E. Of course this adds the 6th. Worse, it replaces the bII chord. I wish we could just program an arbitrary set of tones for any note in Scales & Chords. Maybe one day...
TheGodOfRainbows wrote:
20 Feb 2019
I am fascinated by this combinator, but I am also a bit confused about how it works and why.
Thanks and you're welcome! I hope the sheet I attached helps to shed some light on the inner workings.

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QVprod
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20 Feb 2019

This is some genius level combinator programming! Awesome job!

frm5993
Posts: 24
Joined: 28 Dec 2018

21 Feb 2019

" You're right about being limited by the root note of the chord, unfortunately. The V chord in C double harmonic would be G-B-Db. The only way I'm able to get this chord is to play its tritone Db, and set the key to B harmonic minor, second inversion. This gives me a Dbm7b5, spelled G-B-Db-E. Of course this adds the 6th. Worse, it replaces the bII chord. I wish we could just program an arbitrary set of tones for any note in Scales & Chords. Maybe one day... "


how complex would it be to make chord player think that a different note is being played? like, each note activates a different note echo which transposes the note given to chord player...?
i guess i had better understand voicer before i even try something like that.


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Timmy Crowne
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Location: California, United States

22 Feb 2019

frm5993 wrote:
21 Feb 2019
how complex would it be to make chord player think that a different note is being played?
THAT'S IT! Okay, I just updated the patch and the OP with your suggestion. Thanks.
https://app.box.com/s/tm3ke6emfxn9o1opglkthnzdrw7a0ay8

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